What I’ve Been Searching For: Project JUST

Recently, while on one of my obsessive days of endless online searches, I happened to stumble upon Project JUST. I wish that this had been one of my first search results when looking up information about existing brands and how they measure up in the face of ethical production and their effect on the environment, because this website answers all my questions for me.

When I was looking up information on how certain brands ensure fair wages of their garment workers and their efforts to decrease negative environmental impact, it was difficult to find the specific information I was looking for. While many of them do have generic statements regarding sustainability, or a Code of Conduct, there is no way of knowing whether this is being actively monitored and if safety standards are actually being upheld. As we can see from the Rana Plaza disaster and other similar cases, those words mean next to nothing.

Project JUST is still growing and developing, but they’ve already got information on quite a few brands that I was curious to learn more about – H&M, American Apparel, Kate Spade, to name a few. They’ve created 8 categories they focus on (size & business model, transparency, labor conditions, environment, intention, community, management and innovation), as well as a summary section, so you can either skim through or learn in-depth information, with links to documents and papers, so you know they did their research. They collected quotes from various sources about the brand, including executives and representatives from the brands themselves.

As if that’s not enough, they’ve also got a blog, and are in the process of creating a list of “innovative brands who move the industry in a positive direction”. I, personally, cannot wait to receive it! Seriously, this is something we all need.

Side note: If you’d rather have an app that tells you how transparent brands are, then you’re in luck! Not My Style is in the process of developing the app after hitting their target on Kickstarter, but you can still send them some extra support.

Know of any other crazy cool websites to find out more about your clothes? Share them with me in the comments below!